Valley Spirit

Our readers will remember with what words of bitterness and contempt our Republican friends spoke, during last fall's campaign, of the "bread and butter brigade"-meaning the office-holders under President Johnson. It was the standing text for every stump speech, upon which Radical orators waxed warm and eloquent, as they attempted to depict the ineffable meanness of the men who could so far forget their self-respect as to accept office from a "recreant President." Every radical newspaper editor made it the subject of his leading editorials, in which this class of men were held in utter abhorrence. We were told that no man, and especially no Republican, could accept an office from the President without a total sacrifice of his honor and manhood. Nothing could be more dishonorable and disgraceful, in the eyes of these pious patriots, than to be a member of the "bread and butter brigade." They could not be induced to join it under any circumstances. Oh now! They would break stones, or do anything else for a living, rather than sacrifice their dear "honor" and "manhood" and "self-respect."

But what think you, dear reader when we tell you that these same disinterested patriots are at this very time literally crowding the Departments at Washington, in their anxiety for admission into this same "bread and butter brigade." The newspapers inform us that Washington is over-run with Radical office-seekers who are there "boring" the President and heads of departments for appointments. During the last two or three weeks the "brigade" has been reinforced by thousands of recruits from the Radical ranks, and the "cry is, still they come." Even our own goodly town has furnished more than its full quota. We could name at least half a dozen of our most respectable Radical fellow citizens who, not having the fear of McClure before their eyes, have already been on to Washington and had their names entered on the "slate" for one of the vacant appointments in this District. So utterly demoralised, on this "bread and butter" question, has the radical party of this vicinity become that it is said the demoralisation has even extended itself to the pure and hallowed atmosphere of the sanctum of the Repository . Rumor has it that an attache of that establishment, being suddenly seized with a voracious appetite for something to eat, and thinking that "bread and butter" would sit more lightly on his stomach than beef-steaks and pan-cakes, started, post-haste, for Washington, to pick, if possible, a crumb from the Presidential table, in the shape of Assessorship for this district. But unfortunately for our friend, he had a double difficulty to encounter. Not only was a "recreant President" to be conciliated, but there stood with "glaring eyeballs" the mortal enemy of his house, waiting to be avenged. Simon said "wiggle-waggle," and the aforesaid attache wiggle-waggled accordingly-minus the expected Presidential "crumb" spread with Senatorial "butter."

But to be serious, what a commentary is this scramble for office among radical politicians on their own professions during the late campaign. The very men who are now most anxious to accept office under the federal government were loudest then in their denunciations of others for the same thing. A great "change seems to have come over the spirit of their dreams." What was "corruption" then, is pure and unadultered virtue now. What was then regarded as "dishonorable," has become the highest type of honor! Such is the consistency of the great "God and morality" party!

Of each pretended "finality" proposed by the Radicals to keep up the pretense that they wish to restore the Union, we have always foreseen this: that the first sign of acquiescence at the South would be instantly met with fresh exactions, devised solely with the aim of postponing and preventing a final settlement. The Radicals are not reconstructionists; they are not constructionists of any sort-they are desrtuctionists. They destroyed the old Union and no new one will ever be formed with their consent, in which the free opinion of the whole American people can find expression through the ballot-box. To their first proposal, the constitutional amendment reducing Southern representation, they tacked a clause of disfranchising all who had taken part in the rebellion after swearing to support the Constitution of the United States. They did not directly impose this disfranchisement; they were too cunning for that. They required the Southern people to adopt it themselves by their own votes. To this there was some demur, as was expected and it was also argued at the South, that as the political controversy that led to the civil war was upon the true interpretation of the Constitution of the United States, those that took the Southern view did not consciously or willfully violate the oath in question.

But in spite of all this, leading men and journals at the South began to recommend the proposed amendment, as something to be accepted, as a matter of necessity: and, therefore, the Radicals abandoned it. They brought in a "reconstruction bill," giving forthwith, the suffrage to all the negroes though the "amendment" just proposed had formally admitted that the matter was for the determination of each State at the south, as it was at the North. When this Radical "reconstruction bill," establishing military despotism and negro suffrage was finally passed over the veto of the President, there was again a frank effort made at the South to meet its requirements. Governor Brown, of Georgia, and other leading men, argued most cogently that as the so-called "reconstruction" was to be put at once in operation by military force, it were better for the whole country that the Southern States should not be reorganized solely on an African basis. Southern with men were urged to accept the situation, and to take their part in a work that would otherwise go on without them. To counteract this view, the Radicals have brought forward their "supplemental reconstruction bill."-In this, they seek to take away the incentive to Southern action by providing that a State may be kept out of all its federal relations if the majority of its voters fail to vote. Then they are deterred from voting by new impositions. Another test oath is provided; they are made to swear not merely allegiance to the United States but that they are "sincerely attached to the government;" a government that is present to them only in the form of absolute military power; a form for which no free-born American was bred to feel "sincere attachment." To give full scope to intimidation and persecution, it further provided, "that persons taking the oath falsely shall be subject to all the pains and penalties of perjury." Then, there is a large increase of the proscribed class; not only those who once took an oath to support the Constitution are disfranchised for "rebellion," but all State officers, whether they took the oath or not.

Finally, a change is made that so clearly discloses the ulterior purposes that prompt it, that it seems superfluous to do more than simply to point to it as the best confirmation of our charge, that the whole design of the Radicals is conceived in deceit and perfidy.

A provision providing for the admission of a State, on its framing a new Constitution, "if the said Constitution shall be declared by Congress to be in conformity with the previous act to which this is supplemental," has been "amended." It now reads "if the said Constitution shall be approved by Congress." This is the grand reserve of the Radicals: if everything shall be done "in conformity" with their requirements their "approval" may still be withheld. No State shall come in as a free State on any terms, if they can help it. To establish and keep up a sheer, gross military despotism, this is their intent-this is their crime against freedom, civilization, and the American people.-Age.

The following supplement to the Franklin County Road Law was passed on Monday, the 18th inst., and is now the law. It will be seen that it obviates several features of the original law to which our citizen objected:

SECTION 1. Be it enacted, &c. That the roads in the County of Franklin shall be annually sold, let and contracted for, by the supervisors of the townships in said County respectively, for the period of one year and no longer, and the contract price therefore shall be paid the purchaser or contractor during the year in which the work is done and performed.

SECTION 2. That no drains or ditches shall be required in the specifications in selling or letting said roads, when the bed of the road is solid by reason of rock or slate, or has been piked.

SECTION 3. That the provisions of the fifth section of the act, to which this is a supplement, shall not apply in any roads running along or through the mountains in said County, except so far as relates to removing of loose stones.

A meeting of the trustees of the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania, was held at the office of the State society at Harrisburg, on Wednesday, March 13, 1867. Present Messrs. F. Watts, John W. Geary, Francis Jordan, A. Boyd Hamilton, H. N. McAllister, Jas. Miles, A.O. Heister, Moses Thompson and John Frazer. During the session it was decided to publish a monthly journal of agriculture to be edited by the faculty of the college, the grant by the State of the U. S. Land Scrip was accepted, and after some debate during which remarks were made by Gov. Geary, Judge Heister, Col. Jordan, Mr. McAllister and Gen. Fraser, a plan was decided upon for the purchase of lands, one tract for a farm west of the mountains and one East of Harrisburg, to be cultivated as a model and experimental farms under the care of the Institution as provided for in the recent act of the Legislature; the farms so purchased or obtained to consist of about one hundred acres each.

Motions for a smaller minimum area were lost. It was agreed that the affairs of the college are now placed upon a permanent foundation, and with the enlarged and capable faculty promises as high a degree of success as has ever been claimed for it by its warmest friends. The improvement of the magnificent farm around the college claimed the attention of the board, and measures were adopted to insure its future improvement and productiveness. If any of our readers wish to see the mountain country of Pennsylvania in all its grandeur, a trip to the college, in Centre county, will afford an opportunity to do so, and at the same time he will traverse some of the most beautiful alleys of Pennsylvania.

We give below the returns of the borough and township elections, held on the 15th inst., which were not on file at the date of our last report. It will be seen that the Radicals have the very meager majority of 57 in the county, while the Democracy have elected twelve of the Judges to their ten, with one township a tie. The vote cast is a tolerably full one in most of the Districts:

Antrim.-Judge, John Wilhelm, Rad., 80 maj.; Inspectors, Joseph S. Loose, Daniel Kuhn; School Directors, C. D. Lesher, Daniel Lechrone; Supervisors, S. B. Snively, Jacob Witmer, John Frantz; Auditors, Thomas Gillan, 3 yrs., Jacob Shank, 2 yrs.; Assessor, John Smith; Assistant Assessors, Michael Gordon, Sr., B. Snively, Treasurer, Henry Brendle; Clerk, Samuel Detirch; Constable, David Mowen.

Greencastle. Assessor, James C. Moorehead; Assistant Assessors, George H. Davidson, A. K. Wief; Auditor, Jacob Deardorff; Constable, Daniel Hawbecker.

Fayetteville.-Judge, Jacob Conrad, Rad. 19 maj.; Inspectors, Benjamin C. Small, Hiram Sowers.

Fanett.-Justice of the Peace, Joseph M. Doyle; Constable, Harris Finley; Assessor, B. A. Doyle; Assistant Assessors, Peter Shearer, Alexander W. Campbell; Auditor, Wilson Piper; Supervisors, David D. Skinner, Joseph Culbertson, 7 maj.; Inspectors, Samuel H. Wilters, Joseph Dever, William Piles; Township Clerk, Roland H. Brown. Dry Run-judge, Peter C. Beelman, Rad. 4 maj.; Inspectors, Samuel Gamble, Sylvester Price, Sulphur Spring-Judge, James B. Culbertson, Dem., George Stake. Concord-Judge, Joseph Moore, Dem., 24 maj.; Inspectors, Robert V. Campbell, John L. Hayes.

Guilford.-Judge William Vanderaw, R., 5 maj.; Inspectors, Isaac H. Keefer, J. C. Coble; Justice of the Peace, Andrew Statler, Jeremiah Coover; Constable John Snyder; Assessor, Henry S. Miller; Assistant Assessors, John McFerren, Samuel Grossman; School Directors, Levi Oyler, Pharez Duffield; Auditor, Jacob C. Snyder; Supervisors, David Thompson, Jacob Sheets, John C. George; Treasurer, William George; Township Clerk, John F. Zumbro.

Peters.-Justice of the Peace, Peter Kunkleman; Assessor, Peter Kulman; Assistant Assessors, A. Keefer, William E. McDowell; Supervisors, David Vance, Wm. Brantharer, Jacob Greenwelt; School Directors, Arch. McDowell, Jacob Gelb, Christian Over; Auditor, Jacob Benedict; Township Clerk, James D. Scott. Mercersburg-Judge, John Greenawalt, Rad., 27 maj,; Inspectors, John McCullough, David E. Hays. Loudon-Judge, Ferdinand Senseny Dem., 16 maj.; Inspectors, David Gillan, John McCurdy, Jr.

Warren.-Judge, a tie; Inspectors, John Myers, S. C. McCulloh; Justice of the Peace, S. C. McCulloh; Assistant Assessors, Solomon Cook, Joseph Phenicle; School Directors, Henry K. Brewer, Abram Yeakel; Supervisors, J. G. Pheicle, other candidates a tie; Auditor, a tie; Constable, John Unger; Township Clerk, J. C. Cook.

The Democratic majority in Hamilton township is 30, instead of 70 as reported in our last.